Assessing the potential role of deer in the dissemination of Mycobacterium bovis infection to cattle in Northern Ireland.

Mycobacterium bovis, the causative agent of animal tuberculosis, exhibits a broad host range - infecting, inducing pathology and transmitting from both bovine and wildlife hosts. Considerable effort has been extended to understanding the role wildlife may play in persistence and spread of infection. Infected cervids can spread infection to conspecifics and sympatric livestock as observed in the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginanus) population of Michigan, USA.

Multimode dynamics of a monolithically integrated, tunable, bidirectional, gain switched optical comb source.

A three-sectioned, bidirectionally coupled, tunable, optical comb source is presented. The photonic integrated circuit (PIC) consists of a gain section, a slotted mirror section and a Fabry-Perot (FP) section. Optical frequency combs (OFCs) are produced by gain switching the FP section via a high power radio frequency (RF) signal.

Circadian influences on sudden cardiac death and cardiac electrophysiology.

Cardiologists have analyzed daily patterns in the incidence of sudden cardiac death to identify environmental, behavioral, and physiological factors that trigger fatal arrhythmias. Recent studies have indicated an overall increase in sudden cardiac arrest during daytime hours when the frequency of arrhythmogenic triggers is highest. The risk of fatal arrhythmias arises from the interaction between these triggers-such as elevated sympathetic signaling, catecholamine levels, heart rate, afterload, and platelet aggregation-and the heart's susceptibility (myocardial substrate) to them.

Modeling BK Virus Infection in Renal Transplant Recipients.

Kidney transplant recipients require a lifelong protocol of immunosuppressive therapy to prevent graft rejection. However, these same medications leave them susceptible to opportunistic infections. One pathogen of particular concern is human polyomavirus 1, also known as BK virus (BKPyV).